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Author Topic: Pearl Diver Shines!  (Read 5971 times)

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liopoil

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Pearl Diver Shines!
« on: April 24, 2014, 07:44:17 pm »
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http://www.gokosalvager.com/static/logprettifier.html?/20140424/log.51376a99e4b006f8dc8cca4c.1398376966382.txt


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Embargo, Pearl Diver, Island, Noble Brigand, Counterfeit, Counting House, Merchant Guild, Pillage, Tactician, Peddler

This is the first time I've had pearl diver play an important role in my deck. Without pearl diver, my deck would have been much slower and harder to build. And no, Vineyards were not on the board. In this kingdom, there are only two cards that allow you to play more actions that turn: peddler and pearl diver (sort of tactician). Therefore, the only way to get peddler to cost 0 (without previously purchasing peddlers for 2+) is with pearl diver. Pearl diver was also good as fodder to get coin tokens with merchant guild with. There is +buy in the form of tactician, counterfeit, and merchant guild, so it is easy to stock up on $0 peddlers. Stacking up of $0 peddlers is especially good because of merchant guild, another generally below average card that was good here. I don't know if I would call my deck an engine (My hand size never increases except with tactician), but I don't know of any BM deck that can get 5 colonies and a Province in 16 turns! My deck is a sort of double-tactician, except I don't always play tactician on my tactician turn, so it is a hybrid of double and single tact. My economy comes from merchant guild and peddler, which is really quite a combo. Island and counterfeit provide a little bit of necessary thinning. Counterfeit isn't ideal because I can't play it on turns where I play tactician, but it does give me another +buy, which is nice with merchant guild and peddler. I buy a couple early silvers, which I don't really want, but I need to hit five early. Turn 8 is really important, because it lets me get 3 pearl divers which will be plenty to get peddlers, and I get 3 coin tokens as well. It allows me on turn 10 to get 10 coin tokens, a tactician, and 4 peddlers.

So, pearl diver isn't the real power card here, the real deck is around merchant guild/tactician/peddler, but it makes the deck a lot easier to build. Without it, I would have had a much harder time getting peddlers to start. And I did use the topdecking in a helpful way a couple times.

I think I did get above average luck here, but regardless, I think it is the optimal strategy for sure. Embargo could have really hurt it though... my opponent also got unlucky, not hitting $5 until T8. Perhaps we should have ignored island?
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markusin

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2014, 09:12:06 pm »
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Because sometimes, you just want a cheap cantrip. Beyond Silver. Hamlet would have really been nuts here in place of Pearl Diver, but alas Pearl Diver was here instead.
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soulnet

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2014, 11:56:39 am »
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I don't think that plan really works out if your opponent is smart enough to place even a single Embargo on Peddlers. I think almost any non-money strategy is too vulnerable against Embargo, there being no trashing nor sifting nor really good draw engine. If you engine double-Embargoes Gold and Embargoes Silver, you really do have a good chance of stopping money short, but it would be slow to really stop a BMish player here.
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Davio

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2014, 01:50:20 pm »
+2

Because sometimes, you just want a cheap cantrip. Beyond Silver. Hamlet would have really been nuts here in place of Pearl Diver, but alas Pearl Diver was here instead.
Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed.

I was expecting you to manipulate the bottom of your deck like crazy!
But alas, Pearl Diver is again just a Vagrant/Hamlet/Pawn wannabe. :)


I'd be tempted to try a weird Merchant Guild/Counting House combo, but it probably won't work very well.
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Schneau

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2014, 09:59:22 am »
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Your opponent was unlucky, not hitting $5 until turn 8 when you hit it turn 3 with the same opening. Hard to come back from that. Otherwise, it looks like you were playing similar decks.
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Schneau

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2014, 10:24:42 am »
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By the way, that totally sounded like I was shooting down your excitement over Pearl Diver, which I wasn't. Pearl Diver is cool here. :)
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BadAssMutha

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2014, 11:07:46 am »
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Good stuff. The Counterfeit ties it all together, giving you just enough trashing as well as the absolutely necessary +Buy that doesn't cost an action.

Another time I've seen Pearl Diver shine is in Mystic games - it's even useful for pulling dead cards off the bottom of the deck for the sake of the guaranteed hit.
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soulnet

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2014, 12:37:55 pm »
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Good stuff. The Counterfeit ties it all together, giving you just enough trashing as well as the absolutely necessary +Buy that doesn't cost an action.

Another time I've seen Pearl Diver shine is in Mystic games - it's even useful for pulling dead cards off the bottom of the deck for the sake of the guaranteed hit.

That makes Pearl Diver + Mystic = two Peddlers, not that hot. May be nice if it comes up, but I would not make that my game plan.
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Awaclus

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2014, 01:36:56 pm »
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That makes Pearl Diver + Mystic = two Peddlers, not that hot. May be nice if it comes up, but I would not make that my game plan.
It's not THAT hot, but it is pretty hot considering that the cards aren't Treasure Maps or Fool's Golds on their own. It's not good enough to be your entire game plan, but on the other hand, it also doesn't require a big investment, so it's pretty easy (and possibly worthwhile often) to do in addition to whatever your game plan is.
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KingZog3

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2014, 01:38:12 pm »
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Good stuff. The Counterfeit ties it all together, giving you just enough trashing as well as the absolutely necessary +Buy that doesn't cost an action.

Another time I've seen Pearl Diver shine is in Mystic games - it's even useful for pulling dead cards off the bottom of the deck for the sake of the guaranteed hit.

That makes Pearl Diver + Mystic = two Peddlers, not that hot. May be nice if it comes up, but I would not make that my game plan.

I think that's what he meant, just if it comes up it can be handy. But I don't think anyone is sitting there thinking Pearl Diver/Mystic is a crazy combo.
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soulnet

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2014, 01:53:51 pm »
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What I mean is that I would not buy/gain Pearl Divers specifically for this. Just taking more Mystics and trying to track the deck seems like a better plan. Of course, if you want the PD for other reasons (most likely, increase action density for Herald/TR/Procession/KC/Graverobber), or stumble upon $2 and a buy or some gain you don't need for something else, sure, go for it.
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Awaclus

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2014, 02:01:16 pm »
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(most likely, increase action density for Herald/TR/Procession/KC/Graverobber)
I think the most likely reason is that you hit $2-$4 and it's the only card at that price that doesn't hurt your deck. And unless there's something actually important (or something better at enabling Mystic) at that price, getting a Pearl Diver rather than a card that doesn't really hurt, but doesn't really help a lot either (such as Sage), can be a good idea if you're going to get Mystics.
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soulnet

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2014, 02:20:16 pm »
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(most likely, increase action density for Herald/TR/Procession/KC/Graverobber)
I think the most likely reason is that you hit $2-$4 and it's the only card at that price that doesn't hurt your deck. And unless there's something actually important (or something better at enabling Mystic) at that price, getting a Pearl Diver rather than a card that doesn't really hurt, but doesn't really help a lot either (such as Sage), can be a good idea if you're going to get Mystics.

You mean like this?
or stumble upon $2 and a buy or some gain you don't need for something else, sure, go for it.
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Awaclus

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2014, 02:57:17 pm »
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You mean like this?
or stumble upon $2 and a buy or some gain you don't need for something else, sure, go for it.
Something like that, yeah. But I think that it's more likely than buying it just to increase your Action density.
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soulnet

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2014, 03:44:30 pm »
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Something like that, yeah. But I think that it's more likely than buying it just to increase your Action density.

I agree, but you parsed my original statement wrong. The parenthesis is just clarifying the reasons that may make you actually want the Pearl Diver and increasing Action density is the most likely of those.
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Awaclus

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2014, 04:15:51 pm »
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Something like that, yeah. But I think that it's more likely than buying it just to increase your Action density.

I agree, but you parsed my original statement wrong. The parenthesis is just clarifying the reasons that may make you actually want the Pearl Diver and increasing Action density is the most likely of those.
Oh. Forget I said anything.
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soulnet

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #16 on: April 28, 2014, 04:52:55 pm »
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Oh. Forget I said anything.

I wish I could. It will haunt me forever.
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Davio

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2014, 02:03:02 am »
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Good stuff. The Counterfeit ties it all together, giving you just enough trashing as well as the absolutely necessary +Buy that doesn't cost an action.

Another time I've seen Pearl Diver shine is in Mystic games - it's even useful for pulling dead cards off the bottom of the deck for the sake of the guaranteed hit.

That makes Pearl Diver + Mystic = two Peddlers, not that hot. May be nice if it comes up, but I would not make that my game plan.
2 Peddlers are usually valued around $8 (2 * $4) while PD and Mystic are $7, so you can save a buck! ...just have to draw them together.
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silverspawn

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2014, 12:40:27 pm »
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Good stuff. The Counterfeit ties it all together, giving you just enough trashing as well as the absolutely necessary +Buy that doesn't cost an action.

Another time I've seen Pearl Diver shine is in Mystic games - it's even useful for pulling dead cards off the bottom of the deck for the sake of the guaranteed hit.

That makes Pearl Diver + Mystic = two Peddlers, not that hot. May be nice if it comes up, but I would not make that my game plan.
2 Peddlers are usually valued around $8 (2 * $4) while PD and Mystic are $7, so you can save a buck! ...just have to draw them together.

well, a peddler might be worth about 4$, but you pay for it much less on average, so in games where there's both, you don't save anything by going mystics

soulnet

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #19 on: April 29, 2014, 01:42:33 pm »
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Good stuff. The Counterfeit ties it all together, giving you just enough trashing as well as the absolutely necessary +Buy that doesn't cost an action.

Another time I've seen Pearl Diver shine is in Mystic games - it's even useful for pulling dead cards off the bottom of the deck for the sake of the guaranteed hit.

That makes Pearl Diver + Mystic = two Peddlers, not that hot. May be nice if it comes up, but I would not make that my game plan.
2 Peddlers are usually valued around $8 (2 * $4) while PD and Mystic are $7, so you can save a buck! ...just have to draw them together.

I would not make $4-a-piece Peddlers my game plan either. Especially unreliable $4-a-piece Peddlers.
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Davio

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #20 on: April 29, 2014, 01:52:03 pm »
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Well, it wasn't to be taken seriously.

In any case, if you start with $4 Peddlers and play 3 of them, they're already worth $2! Just need a buy somewhere and one other cantrip and they're usually viable.
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SCSN

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #21 on: April 29, 2014, 01:58:43 pm »
+1

Pearl Diver Shines!

He finally found his pearl.
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BadAssMutha

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Re: Pearl Diver Shines!
« Reply #22 on: April 29, 2014, 02:08:02 pm »
+1

I agree, Pearl Diver + Mystic is worth the same as 2 Peddlers but is harder to line up. That said, Peddlers tend to run out quick in situations with cantrips and extra buys, so you probably won't wind up with more than 6 or 7 of them. That's only 3 Mystics, when usually you want a lot more than that.

I guess my overall point was that Pearl Diver really smoothed out the Mystic draw, making it a very reliable source of a considerable amount of money (more than Peddler might be, due to the tighter limit on the number of Peddlers). Peddlers probably won't get you to double Province territory, but Pearl Diver-Mystic might in the right situations. Of course, I didn't go into the game hunting down the combo, but Peal Diver proved to be an extremely useful card to pick up with $2 and an extra buy. Definitely needs some enablers, and I'm not saying it's the strongest thing on its own, but it was a situation where the Pearl Diver had a lot of "value added", and was worth more than your typical PD.
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